The concept of fishing tackle such as fishing bobbers that can be used either as a slip bobber or a fixed line bobber is known in the art. Typically, in the slip bobber mode the fishing line extends freely through a tube in the fishing float. A string stop in the form of a knot is tied onto the fishing line. Usually a bead, which can slide along the fishing line, is placed on the fishing line with the knot forming a stop for the bead and the bead having a larger outside diameter than the tube to form a stop for the fishing bobber. The knot being small can pass through the eyes of the fishing rod and the fishing reel to allow the line with the knot to be wound up on the fishing reel. As one casts the line with the slip bobber and the bead the hook with the bait sinks allowing the fishing line to slide through the slip bobber until the bead engages the knot, which prevents further sliding of the bead along the fishing line. In addition, since the bead cannot pass through the tube in the fishing float it also stops the fishing float from sliding past the knot thus limiting the depth of the hook.
The slip bobbers, which are well known in the art, are also often used to fish in a fixed line mode, that is, the bobber is temporarily attached to the fishing line with a spring clamp that slides over a fishing line that extends through a saw cut on the hollow stem in the fishing float. Unfortunately, the fishing float stems with saw cuts in the hollow stem have sharp edges which can weaken and cut the soft flexible fishing lines. In addition to harshness to the fishing line by the saw cut in the stem of a fishing float the placement of a saw cut in the stem of the fishing bobber weakens the stem, which can cause the stem to break during use. One such fishing float with a spring and saw cut hollow stem is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,082,711. Another such fishing float with a saw cut stem is sold by Carlson Tackle Company Inc. of Cortland Ohio under the trademark Wing-It™.
An improved line stop is found in a fishing bobber sold under the name Lucky Jack™ by ROD-N-BOBB'S of Eau Claire Wis. The improved line stop includes a compression spring located around a hollow stem, which is an integral portion of the fixed/slip bobber. The line guide shoulders in the stem of the bobber include rounded or radiused corners to protect the fishing line from nicks and cuts that would weaken the fishing line thus causing the line to break unexpectedly. While the improved line stop is useful as part of a slip bobber it has limited application to slip bobbers.
Although the improved line stop can protect the fishing line from abrasion the spring forms a moving part that can become stuck. In order to avoid a spring that can stick it would be desired to have a line stop for use on fishing tackle that has no moving parts and can be used on slip bobbers as well as other types of fishing tackle.
Oftentimes a fisher person may want to create his or her own tackle, such as a line light or a scent stick that can be quickly attached or detached from a fishing line. Unfortunately, devices for attaching a fishing line to a piece of tackle include extraneous items that render it impractical to use the device, consequently, people who use line lights or scent sticks attach the devices to a fishing line using a rubber band or the like.
It is known in the art to adjust a bobber during fishing if the bobber configuration is not suitable for the fishing conditions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,147 describes a foam rubber buoyant member, or float, that is mounted in a hook member and can be adjusted by the angler. The float of the '147 patent is adjusted not by replacing the float in the hook member with a different float but by instead using a knife to cut the float to have a different length. This is different from removing and replacing the float.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,073 describes an adjustable buoyant member, or float, that is made of a plastic foam attached to a hook member. The plastic foam can be cut to adjust the length of the float and thereby make an adjustable bobber system with adjustable buoyancy. The bobber system also includes a weight that encircles the float and can be adjusted along the length of the float. This weight appears to be similar to the known plastic bands that are movable along the length of the float to allow the angler to better visualize the position and movement of the float in the water. Again, like the '147 patent, the '073 patent appears to adjust the buoyancy of the float by cutting the float to a shorter length rather than removing and replacing the float in the hook member. For example, the '073 patent describes the float as being secured in a cavity by use of glue, adhesive or other mechanical securing means. This does not disclose or teach that the float can be removed and replaced or removed and used again. Instead, the examples given for securing in the cavity demonstrate that the float and hook member would likely be damaged in its removal and unsuitable for use again.
Further, with respect to the mounting of the buoyant member to the stem guide, in general the stem guides are rigid while the buoyant member is flexible. Therefore a mounting of the buoyant member to the stem guide involves a temporary deformation of the buoyant member rather than a permanent or temporary deformation of the stem guide. As a result, the buoyant member is retained to the stem guide on the basis of the compressive tendency of the buoyant member against the stem guide rather than any force imparted by the stem guide against the buoyant member. As an analogy, the floats herein may be stretch over the prong to mount to the prong and therefore be in a slightly expanded state around the prong and exerting a compressive force against the prong. Similarly, when inserted into a cavity in the stem guide, the buoyant member is compressed and then one released within the cavity, the buoyant member exerts an expansive force against the cavity to retain the buoyant member in the cavity.
The stem guides disclosed herein permit the angler to attach and remove the stem guide from the line without cutting the line. The stem guide may have a float, scent stick or light stick temporarily attached to the stem guide such that the float, scent stick or light stick may be easily attached and removed from the fishing line without cutting the line or damaging the stem guide and potentially not damaging the float, scent stick or light stick.